You believed it had passed you by. It's normal to believe that your mind and body have healed and moved on after a terrible occurrence. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, on the other hand, might appear months or even years later.

PTSD, unlike a rash or a broken limb, is difficult to detect, especially when it occurs in your head. PTSD is not the same as despair or fury, despite the similarities in appearance and symptoms. And it may have an impact on everything from your sleeping habits to your personal and professional connections.

If you recognize any of these symptoms in yourself, consult your doctor for a diagnosis.

Memories

Memories of the traumatic experience might haunt you whether you're thinking about it or not. You may have dreams about them while sleeping or flashbacks throughout the day. That is, you relive the incident as if it were taking place for the first time.

You may feel nervous, fearful, guilty, or suspicious as a result of both. Chills, shivering, headaches, heart palpitations, and panic attacks are all physical manifestations of these feelings.

Avoidance

You don't want to consider it. You don't want to discuss it. You avoid anybody or everything that brings up memories of the incident, including locations and activities.

Avoidance can also refer to avoiding people in general, not only those involved in the event. This might make you feel isolated and distant.

Changes in Personality

These are known as 'arousal symptoms' by doctors. They might amplify your emotions or cause you to respond in ways you wouldn't usually. If you're a cautious driver, for example, you can start driving excessively fast or be overly aggressive on the road. A lot of people have irrational, furious outbursts.

Many people have trouble concentrating. Feelings of danger and being attacked might impair attention and prevent you from completing daily duties. Whether or whether you're having nightmares, this might make it difficult to sleep.

Mood Changes

PTSD does not always manifest itself in the form of nightmares or flashbacks. The mood shift may be unconnected to the traumatic incident.

You'll recognize it by its pessimism. You could feel gloomy, apathetic, or self-conscious about yourself or others. Suicide thoughts might come and go. Deep sentiments of shame and guilt are also frequent.

You can lose interest in activities that you used to like. Your desire to keep in touch with close friends and relatives may be waning.